Putting the three-tenets energy justice framework into policy practice: A case study in the Netherlands

Abstract

The call for a just energy transition is omnipresent in both literature and policy practice. The three-tenets framework (TTF), which distinguishes between ‘distributive’, ‘procedural’ and ‘recognition justice’, promises to enable policy makers to include justice considerations in energy choices. Yet, recent critiques point out significant challenges of the TTF as an evaluative and policymaking framework. This paper analyzes the challenges that are faced when trying to develop and use a framework to promote justice in energy policymaking in municipalities, using the TTF as a starting point. It does so by investigating a collaboration between the Dutch municipality of Venlo and a consultancy aiming to develop a policymaking framework, using the TTF as a starting point. Through observations of the process of the development and testing of the framework in workshops, discussions and interviews, challenges are identified. Findings indicate that while the TTF offers a starting point for discussions on justice, it requires further elaboration with additional theories, concepts and methods to address normative assumptions about justice effectively. Challenges are found in keeping the framework simple, navigating pre-existing policy contexts, and overcoming institutional barriers such as limited capacity and working in silos. The paper concludes that while the TTF could form a basis to stimulate a reflection by indicating what justice could be about, its efficacy as a policymaking framework hinges on incorporating comprehensive theoretical and methodological enhancements and structural embedding in policymaking practices.